Land/sea containers are a standardized type of container in which all kinds of goods and materials are shipped. The land/sea container can be of various lengths, but at present the standard width is 8 feet. Land/sea containers are transported on land on rail car flat beds and on trailers pulled by tractor rigs. The containers are off-loaded from the trailers for use at destination facilities, or for loading onto a sea going vessel.
Land/sea containers are loaded by opening the doors which are on one end of the trailer and placing goods inside the trailer. This can be by forklift or other means. Often palates of goods are driven into the container by forklift, or the container may be loaded by other methods.
One disadvantage in loading containers is if the material to be loaded is not palletized but is a bulk or free-flowing item. This could include solid materials such as scrap iron, and it could also be encountered when dealing with free-flowing materials such as grains, powders, particulates, or other free-flowing devices. A container could also be designed to hold liquids, and obviously filling the container with liquid while the container is in horizontal position would be impossible. However, if a liquid proof container with sealable doors were made, it could be filled if the container were tipped on end.
In each of the above situations, the container is better filled when the container is tipped on end. This is difficult to do because the container is very heavy. It is also complicated by the fact that it must be lifted off a trailer, and then lifted to a vertical position.